Update on the Prosser book challenge.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the story, but I'd suggest clicking through and reading the whole thing. (The committee is due to discuss The Popularity Papers today. ETA: Or yesterday, I should say, as the article was dated 2/6.)

From the Yakima Herald:

A committee of administrators, teachers, parents and a student on Tuesday recommended that a book challenged for its graphic depiction of child abuse remain available to seventh- and eighth-graders at Housel Middle School.

...

Korb said he was disappointed by the committee’s recommendation and will wait to see what Tolcacher does before deciding his next step. In addition to questioning the committee’s rationale for keeping the book in the libraries, he also questioned why the committee is composed entirely of women.

“If we’re willing to sacrifice the many for the one, that’s a problem,” Korb said, referring to Wheeler’s statement.

Previously.

Comments

[Maureen E]

"In addition to questioning the committee’s rationale for keeping the book in the libraries, he also questioned why the committee is composed entirely of women."

....Did I seriously just read that?

Oh noes! Teh womens can't decide anything rationally!

[Leila]

Yeah, that made me twitch as well. Then again, if the committee had been comprised of all men, I can't imagine that it wouldn't have been questioned. (Not necessarily by the complainant, but I think you know what I mean?)

[Maureen E]

Oh, for sure. But still, that plus the other comments I've heard from the complainant make me more than a wee bit wary.

[Leila]

I hear that, for sure.

[Jennifer]

BECAUSE WOMEN ARE IN FAVOR OF CHILD ABUSE AND GAYS, duh, I thought everybody knew that! Now I need a poster that reads "Sacrifice yourself: Read the Popularity Papers"

[Leila]

BEST POSTER EVER.

(Well, after the Nathan Fillion READ poster.)

[Emily]

I was a little surprised by how the one librarian, Gilbertson, objected to how authority figures were depicted in A Child Called It. She said "it makes us look ineffective as educators." Um, way to internalize it. From the author's perspective his teachers were ineffective, because they knew he was being abused and could do nothing to prevent it. There is a thing called context.
Korb's comments just helped to reinforce my initial impression that he is a douche.

[Leila]

@Emily: Yes! That comment about authority figures was one of the reasons I hoped that people would click through and read the whole article! There are just SO MANY THINGS going on there that are worth talking about.

But back to the authority figures thing: YES. I've run into something similar quite often with adult readers, actually: people who take issue with book after book after book because they don't like it when the children in children's books prove the adults wrong. I always end up thinking, "but... if it went your way, it'd be kind of a boring (AND SHORT) book!" Not to mention being less-than-satisfying in terms of the younger readers' sense of independence/pride/individualism. Or something.